1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an array substrate and, in particular, to an array substrate having a pixel structure that is independent of a rubbing direction and a display panel having the array substrate.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In general, a liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display panel and a driving portion for driving the liquid crystal display panel. The liquid crystal display panel includes an array substrate, a color filter substrate and a liquid crystal layer. The liquid crystal layer is positioned between the array substrate and the color filter substrate. The array substrate includes a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines. The gate lines and the data lines together divide the array substrate into a plurality of pixel areas. A switching device and a pixel electrode are formed in each of the pixel areas. The switching device is connected to the pixel electrode.
Liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer may be irregularly arranged in the presence of an electric field applied to the liquid crystal layer. The irregular arrangement may be due to a coupling phenomenon between the data line and the pixel electrode and a rubbing direction of the liquid crystal layer, which affect arrangements of the liquid crystal molecules. The above-mentioned phenomenon is referred to as a disclination. When the disclination is generated in the liquid crystal layer, light leaks along the data line.
To suppress light leakage, a gate metal layer included in the array substrate is formed by using a mask. The mask has a size in accordance with a size of a common electrode pattern of a storage capacitor adjacent to the data line. In addition, a color filter is formed by using a mask having a size in accordance with a size of a light-blocking pattern corresponding to the data line.
Masks used for forming the array substrate or the color filter substrate must be varied in accordance with the rubbing direction of the liquid crystal layer.